


Bus to Strathclyde

by The_Plaid_Slytherin



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: First Meetings, Gen, Missing Scene, Ninth Doctor Era, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-09-17
Updated: 2009-09-17
Packaged: 2017-10-14 08:40:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/147420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Plaid_Slytherin/pseuds/The_Plaid_Slytherin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>"You know, remember when you were about six years old, your mother said no holiday this year. So off you toddled, all on your own and you got on a bus to Strathclyde!"</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Bus to Strathclyde

The Doctor hated buses.

"Worst form of transportation," he remarked to the woman beside him. She regarded him suspiciously and hooked her arm through the strap of her handbag. She got off at the next stop.

The Doctor frowned. " _What_ is wrong with this face?" he muttered, under his breath.

"Well, you've got big ears," said a voice.

The Doctor turned. A little girl had taken the seat the woman had vacated. "Where'd you come from?" he asked.

"Doesn't matter," she said breezily, settling her pink rucksack on her lap, "as I'm running away from home."

"Admirable," said the Doctor. "Done that a number of times. Mind if I ask why?"

"No holiday," she said.

"No holiday," the Doctor repeated.

She nodded. "Mum said no holiday this year, so I'm taking one."

The Doctor nodded, taking all this in. "What's your name? I'm the Doctor."

"That's a stupid name."

"Oh?" the Doctor challenged. "I bet yours is stupider."

"I'm not supposed to even talk to strangers," she informed him. "Don't think I'm going to tell you my name."

The Doctor peered over at her rucksack, which had a nametag hanging from it. "Donna!"

Donna glared at him. "Cheater."

"Oi, that's not cheating!" The Doctor pretended to look offended. "That's called being observant."

Donna's face remained skeptical.

The Doctor continued. "It's like… Donna, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

Donna considered this. "I want to travel," she finally said.

"Oh, that's fantastic!" said the Doctor. "But when you're traveling, you've got to be observant, watch out for things around—don't sit next to strange men on buses… Where are you going anyway?"

"Strathclyde," she said, sounding less confident than she had before.

"Good plan. Start small. The next thing you know you'll be going to Spain. After that, Barcelona." Neither of them noticed that the bus had stopped and there were several police officers boarding it.

"Barcelona's _in_ Spain," Donna insisted.

"I meant the planet." The Doctor grinned.

"There's no _planet_ Barcelona."

"'Course there is! I've been there!"

Donna raised an eyebrow.

"Donna! Donna, there you are!"

The Doctor and Donna both looked up. An older man was barreling down the center aisle of the bus.

"Granddad!" Donna jumped out of her seat and threw herself at him. He caught her and scooped her up.

"Where _were_ you, sweetheart? We were so worried!"

The Doctor sat back contentedly. Nice to see a family reunited. Nothing better, actually. Now, where was he?

Right, bus to Strathclyde. That's where he'd left the TARDIS. He sighed. He hated buses. Worst way to travel.


End file.
